Listen to this powerful and inspiring conversation recorded live at Oakcrest School. In this special episode, you’ll hear from Ester Munt-Brooks and Dr. Arthur Brooks as they share their talk titled “Happiness Happens.” To guide us in learning how to live that joy here and now, Oakcrest welcomed two incredible speakers, a husband and wife duo: Dr. Arthur Brooks—a Harvard professor, Ph.D., bestselling author, and renowned social scientist—and Mrs. Ester Munt Brooks—a Catholic educator and speaker...
Apr 11, 2025•56 min•Ep. 110
Learning Specialist Maggie Musacchio shares her insight on how to approach the formation and development of executive functioning skills aligned with virtue. She provides practical tips for overcoming procrastination.
Jun 05, 2024•8 min•Ep. 109
In this podcast, Head of School Christie Keuchel is joined by the Upper School Director of Mentoring, Mary Ann Messenger, and the Middle School Director of Mentoring, Jeannie Herrick. They discuss the Oakcrest mentoring program, which is the cornerstone of an Oakcrest education.
May 30, 2024•31 min•Ep. 108
Learning Specialist Maggie Musacchio shares her tips and tricks for how to approach final exams. She provides study strategies and offers encouragement for both students and parents.
May 22, 2024•9 min•Ep. 107
Local painter Henry Wingate shares the ins and outs of classical art training, all while showing how artists can impart their profound impact on culture and society. This talk was delivered as the 9th annual O’Donovan Humanities Lecture, which aims to instill a deeper appreciation of the importance of the humanities in everyday life.
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 106
Laura O’Neill, Oakcrest Class of 1996 and psychotherapist at the Alpha Omega Clinic, discusses ways to foster well-being and growth in helping young girls thrive. In particular, she explores the current generation of children and offers tangible tips on how parents can support their child’s development.
Mar 13, 2024•38 min•Ep. 105
In this podcast, Margaret Sweatman, Director of Middle School Athletics, discusses the role that physical fitness plays in the formation of young women.
Mar 07, 2024•4 min•Ep. 104
In this podcast, Oakcrest dad and author Austin Ruse shares his insights on how to confront an often daunting cultural environment with joy and optimism for the benefit of our daughters, our families, and our community. Mr. Ruse is the author of Under Siege: No Finer Time to be Catholic which he discusses in this talk.
Feb 21, 2024•31 min•Ep. 103
In this podcast, Alexandre Havard, the founder of the Virtuous Leadership Institute and author of several books on virtuous leadership, shares his insights about temperament and character, while also discussing the harmony of the heart, the will, and the mind.
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 102
Theology teacher Holly Salls shares her insights about helping parents guide their daughters to navigate and thrive in our current culture. She provides practical tips to help parents cultivate peace and joy alongside the skills that are necessary for their daughters to stand strong.
Nov 17, 2023•29 min•Ep. 101
In this podcast, English teacher Stephanie Passero shares her insights about the importance of guiding young people toward good literature while providing practical tips on how to do so within your own family.
Sep 15, 2023•19 min•Ep. 100
Laura O’Neill '96 discusses how to help your daughters form healthy friendships. She explains the role that parents can play in guiding their daughters to learn how to develop healthy friendships that will help her along the road of virtue. Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Alpha Omega Clinic in Virginia.
May 25, 2023•52 min•Ep. 99
Oakcrest art teacher Elisa Torres presents “What is Beauty? Encountering God in Art.” She shares how she has encountered beauty in her own life as an artist both studying in Italy and at The Catholic University of America, and how people can intentionally incorporate beauty into their own lives.
May 18, 2023•24 min•Ep. 98
Dr. Taryn Okuma, an associate English professor at The Catholic University of America, shares her reflections on the popularity of memoir writing and what it is about memoir as a genre that makes it appealing to readers. This lecture was held as the 8th annual O’Donovan Humanities Lecture.
May 11, 2023•39 min•Ep. 97
Dr. Ana Samuel, academic director of the pro-marriage organization CanaVox, speaks about talking to our kids about identity. She provides insights into some key parenting principles to uplift family life and explores how to form our children in their identity and help our children have a true sense of self-worth.
Apr 04, 2023•44 min•Ep. 96
In this podcast, Oakcrest Chaplain Fr. Gerry Kolf speaks to fathers about how Dads can inspire faithful daughters through their own unity of life. He discusses the necessity of destroying negativity and pessimism as a step toward developing a relationship with God and also shares how a father’s spiritual life can influence that of his children.
Mar 30, 2023•52 min•Ep. 95
Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz shares a recent message that she delivered both to faculty and parents. She discusses the school’s love for St. Joseph and his message about inspiring good work among men and women that ultimately allows for the development of one’s gifts and talents that are in turn used to serve God and others.
Mar 23, 2023•36 min•Ep. 94
In this podcast, Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz speaks about parent leadership. She draws upon authors and the wisdom of parents, encouraging parents as they become the leaders in their families, intentionally working to cultivate the good habits and virtues that leadership demands.
Jan 19, 2023•45 min•Ep. 93
In this podcast, English teacher and eighth grade dean Mrs. Ines Gruschow shares how the eighth grade curriculum at Oakcrest uses literature and the imagination to inspire our students. She explores the characters that the students encounter in the classroom and discusses how imaginative fiction shapes our consciences.
Jan 10, 2023•35 min•Ep. 92
In this podcast episode, three Oakcrest students, Madie '27, Mariana '23, and Rima '23 share their Oakcrest experiences.
Dec 14, 2022•12 min•Ep. 91
In this podcast, Laura O’Neill, Oakcrest Class of 1996, speaks to parents about how to bolster their relationship with their daughters. She is passionate about the fact that parents matter now more than ever in raising their daughters to thrive as women in today’s culture.
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 90
Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz speaks about the value and virtue of friendship and its critical role in a life lived to its fullness.
Dec 01, 2022•31 min•Ep. 89
In this podcast, Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz, shares insights on how to help your daughter grow in fortitude.
Nov 16, 2022•24 min•Ep. 88
Upper School Director Christine Nussio shares her four tips for helping parents and students have a successful high school experience.
Nov 09, 2022•10 min•Ep. 87
In this episode, Middle School Director Cecelia Escobar discusses how parents and Oakcrest can work together in mutual cooperation for the overall success of each student.
Oct 27, 2022•16 min•Ep. 86
On today’s podcast, Dean of Students Meghan Hadley '06, continues the discussion of stewardship and Oakcrest’s partnership with parents in helping form their daughters.
Oct 20, 2022•14 min•Ep. 85
In this podcast, Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz discusses the history of Oakcrest School, our stewardship, and parent partnership.
Oct 13, 2022•19 min•Ep. 84
Mary Ann Messenger, Oakcrest Theology teacher and Assistant to Parent Support, meets with Laura O'Neill, Oakcrest Class of 1996, to discuss adolescents and social media, diving into understanding how the brain works with and against social media and exploring how to limit time spent scrolling this summer.
Jul 05, 2022•42 min•Ep. 83
Head of School Emerita Dr. Mary T. Ortiz shares the Oakcrest recipe, what makes an Oakcrest student and forms the Oakcrest community. She digs into the mission of Oakcrest and illustrates how it all comes together to serve young women well.
Jun 29, 2022•31 min•Ep. 82
Leslie Kanuch, a science teacher at Oakcrest, presents Physics for Contemplation: finding pathways to God in unimagined places. In her discussion, she introduces both physicists and saints, explaining how their respective discoveries and insights reveal to us both God and the physical world.
May 19, 2022•50 min•Ep. 81
